In The Eye
by Phantom's Keep
Summary: Gravity Falls is a place of diversity. Enter three beings - the All-Seeing Eye: a god, hell bent on one thing, and one thing only... Dipper: just a young adventurer who wants to explore, thrive, and make it to his 17th birthday... Mabel: just a girl who falls ill soon after taking the Mark. And in desperation, Dipper makes a deal that he soon may come to regret...
1. Prologue

... And Dipper stepped into the clearing cautiously, the stag within him rearing his head and protesting every step. But the young man ignored his inner beast and looked around. The tomb he had been researching said that the All-Seeing Eye would appear to those who wish for it. So, the Shifter closed his doe-brown eyes and _breathed._

"You come, Mortal, not for my heart but for your own. Who do you believe you are?"

Dipper's eyes snapped open, landing upon a snarling yellow fox who had entire galaxies dancing on its' twin tails. One of the beast's eyes glowed a brilliant aqua - the other, scarred, was a foggy baby blue. The All-Seeing Eye, as that was the only logical option Dipper could think the fox would be, floated gently above the ground, mouth unmoving as it spoke and eyes unblinking as it glared.

"Speak, Mortal! Do not summon my Greatness only to flounder in my presence!" The Eye spoke through the Mindscape, its' voice echoing and powerful.

"I am Dipper Pines-" Dipper started, "-and I have come to ask one thing of you."

"And what is that?" The Immortal One questioned.

"Please, heal my sister. She is weakening without the help of the stars and the moon - with this human pollution, I fear she will not make it through another cycle." Dipper pleaded with the beast, his stag roaring at him to _"get away, power, fear, demon, suffer-"_

"And what is in it for mine own heart?" The Eye asked, the half-formed face twisted into a smirk. "A bargain shall be made, or there will be no healing on the morrow."

"What is it you seek?" Dipper then knew, immediately, that that was the wrong thing to ask. The demon's grin got impossibly wide, and it settled onto the soft grass under the two being's feet.

"I seek," the Eye said, "a heart that is not mine. The respect of one who is dear, and the loyalty of a Protector - I will cure your sister, and then you must find me these things. Fail, and she shall die." The fox suddenly leapt to its' feet, and appeared in front of Dipper. "Do we have a deal?" As the beast said this, a blue fire erupted around the two.

Dipper did not hesitate. "We have a deal." This was for his sister, his best friend, and he knew he would do whatever he had to in order to protect her. He reached out a hand, wincing as the Eye clamped its' jaws around it, drawing blood. With a laugh, the galaxy-ridden beast set fire to Dipper's hand, allowing the Satan-fire to rush through his veins - binding him to the demon's laws and wishes.

"Good," the beast growled. "You, my little Pine Tree, can call me Bill."

Alright, hello! This is the first (and only, hopefully) Author's Note for this story. Everything will be explained in time, this story is a WIP, and I am looking for a couple of betas. If you're okay with being one for this, please just PM me. I have a playlist for this fic under my YouTube account (Phantom's Keep) and you can find this story on the Gravity Falls Amino, AO3 and Wattpad under the same name (In The Eye) and username (Phantom's Keep, PhantomsKeep and Phantoms_Keep). Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I do, this is an AU made by me (it's called Shifters) and I have art of it posted on my Amino. Again, I really hope you all enjoy it! :D


	2. Chapter 1: Ecce Omnes Ex Nobis

Chapter One: Ecce Omnes Ex Nobis

Gravity Falls was a town of diversity. Yes, it was in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but it was full of different groups of people. Part of the attraction, Dipper thought, was the fact that it was surrounded by wildlife and oddities. The center of the woods was a place where three Ley Lines met - this also could be a magnet to both gods and mortals (Dipper looked up the Ley Line thing last summer after a group of Kelpies tried to kidnap Mabel). But, no matter what the reason was, Dipper knew that Gravity Falls was his home. And as the Pines twins made their way up to Oregon, Dipper got that feeling that this summer would test that love he held for the small town.

"What're you thinking, Dip-dots?" Mabel spoke, looking over at her twin from the passenger seat. She was knitting another sweater, this one with a galaxy background and a white triangle in the middle of it. From where Dipper was sitting, he could tell that the inside was made of a soft-looking yellow wool. It was an offering for the god that resided in Gravity Falls, the All-Seeing Eye. Much like the rest of the world, Gravity Falls had two gods living within the borders. The All-Seeing Eye and the Water Sign gods. As such, they were the two most worshipped beings in the county. Since the sweater had a triangle on it, Dipper could deduce that Mabel was working on it for the Eye god.

"Nothing," Dipper said with a small smile. "I'm just ready to join the Shifters."

"I know, right?" Mabel exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air with the biggest grin. "Pacifica won't shut up about how cool it is! For a _year_ , Dipper!"

The brown-haired boy laughed. Most of the teens in Gravity Falls had already become a Shifter or Lacus - followers of the Eye and the Sign respectively. Each god granted their followers different powers so long as they received offerings and sacrifices. As such, this type of religion quickly dominated the world in the 18th century during the Enlightenment period. Gods from all corners of the Earth started popping up around the globe, easily gaining followings as humans developed machines, made moral codes, and branched out in science. The uptake with the religious cults just spurred that along - machines were easier to make when one had telekinesis, morals were hashed out by gods, and science was questioned when the beings made impossible feats possible. Recently, joining a following when a person turns 16 became a fad. It was put before getting a driver's license - who needs to drive when you can fly? - and most of Mabel and Dipper's friends had been 16 for a year, if not more.

"I can only guess what animal she turned out to be," Dipper said with a laugh.

"I bet she's a swan," Mabel giggled, thinking of her best enemy-turned-friend.

"Nah," Dipper grinned, "she's totally a snake."

Mabel gasped dramatically. "But Dipper, all of the Northwests have been aves since joining the Shifters! I will _not_ be the one to break that!" She said in a mock-Pacifica voice. The twins shared a laugh, giggling and beyond excited to finally be back in Gravity Falls. Shifters, the cult dedicated to the All-Seeing Eye, were granted the ability to tap into their innermost being, their Spirit Animal. Ford, one of Mabel and Dipper's great-uncles, tried to explain it to them one time.

"… A Spirit Animal is essentially a person based on popular folk lore centered around them," he had said, standing in the Shack's kitchen, "so an owl is wisdom, a lion loyalty and pride, a snake sneaky but meant to heal, and a fox sly and cunning." He paused to take a bite of his Stan-cakes. "It's also made of a person's feelings - their hopes and dreams, if you will." He looked over at his twin, Stan, "I'm an owl because I want to have knowledge and possess great amounts of wisdom. Stan's a lion because-"

"Because I'm awesome, and family always comes first!"

"Actually, I was going to say because you're hot-headed."

"Hey!"

Dipper smiled a little at the thought of his Grunkles. They were a big part of the twins' life. Ever since that first summer Mabel and Dipper spent with their Grunkle Stan (Ford joined them later, about mid-July), the two spent every holiday they could in Gravity Falls.

"I wonder what the induction is like?" Mabel commented, running one of her ink-covered hands through the thick brown locks she was proud to call her own.

Dipper hummed in thought. "Most likely something along the lines of drinking an innocent's blood, knowing the Eye." An induction was a special point in everyone's lives - yet, it was a taboo to speak about them. If someone decided to spill the beans about their own induction, they were kicked out of the following and harshly branded. Most companies, schools, and social groups refused to accept a person who wore a Traitor Mark. Like regular Marks, Traitor Marks could not be healed or removed from the person unless the god who put it there willingly took it off the person. As such, no-one ever talked about their own inductions. People speculated that it was because the gods didn't want their peers to learn how to grant their powers. Sadly, there was no evidence to back this theory up.

Mabel let out a loud laugh. "Or maybe we have to go into the woods and hunt down a magical creature?"

"Oh yes," Dipper said sarcastically. "Because the great All-Seeing Eye needs a bunch of teenagers to tromp around his terf to catch a couple of _gnomes_."

Continuing to giggle, Mabel reached across the center console to lightly hit Dipper's arm. "Shut up! You know he could make us do that!"

The young man laughed with his sister, trying to feebly block and dodge her arms while staying focused on the road. "Suuuuure," he drawled. He looked at his phone. They were about thirteen minutes away from the shack, the last stretch on their long drive. "Look alive, Mabel!" He yelled, rolling down the small truck's windows. "HELLO, GRAVITY FALLS!" He hollered as he pulled into the small town.

Mabel stuck her head out the window. "IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK! HIYA, CANDY!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, waving frantically at her friend.

"Hi, Mabel!" The small girl yelled back.

Dipper couldn't stop grinning as he steered his truck down the familiar roads of his little corner of paradise. He stole a quick glance at Mabel, and he could tell she was just as elated as he was.

And in no time at all, they rounded the final corner of forest, revealing the Mystery Shack to the Pines twins. They were home.

A/N: Okay, so this is the start! This is how it all begins… So far, none of these chapters have been beta'd. I have 2 potential betas, but I would like to have at least one more on my team. It's hard for one person to grammar and fact check everything I type in a day (I usually do about 5 solid paragraphs a day, not including dialogue. As such, I understand it's a hard job for one person. So, multiple betas = most of the work gets put on the author to come up with a solid plot and then execute it. And that's how I like it. So, please, if anyone is interested in becoming a beta for this let me know! Comment, PM me, hell – go on one of my social media accounts and spam the crap out of me.

Anyways, thank you all so much for reading the start of something that will (hopefully) evolve into a great story! I look forward to hearing from all of you! 3

NOTE: I will be updating every week on Thursday at the latest, or Wednesday if I've already started on the next chapter by then. My life is busy, so please don't get mad if I don't always update on schedule! The life of an equestrian, am I right? :')


	3. Chapter 2: Aequum Deus Noster

Chapter Two: Aequum Deus Noster

The Shack was just the way they had left it during Spring Break. The S in "Shack" was still on the roof, the small garden in the back was blooming, and the added rooms still smelled like sawdust.

"It's so good to be back," Dipper muttered to himself as he fell backwards on his bed. He and Mabel had separate rooms now that puberty had overtaken both of them. Dipper claimed the attic and Mabel proudly called one of the newer rooms her own. Stan still had his old bedroom and Ford slept in both the basement and the room that once held the body-changing rug.

The brown-haired teen let out a happy sigh. He closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the outside world encase him. Dipper could sit there for hours, just listening to the birds sing into the afternoon sky. He opened his eyes and glanced out the triangular window. Tomorrow Stan and Ford were taking Dipper to the garden where the All-Knowing Eye had a shrine set up. The garden, called Prudentia, was where ordinary people turned into Shifters. Mabel had already left for hers - the Eye only inducted one new member every day. It was odd, but the Shifters' job isn't to question their god. Anyways, Dipper had let Mabel go first since she was more excited than he was (at least, that's what he told himself. He wasn't scared at all).

Dipper let out a sigh. He blinked. Once, twice. He started to fidget. "Screw it," he muttered, rolling off his bed and landing on his feet. Reaching a hand out, Dipper snagged his worn backpack and Pine Tree hat before taking off down the stairs. He had only been in town for an hour, and Dipper was already in the woods.

The giant pines, swaying gently in the breeze, always managed to soothe Dipper's nerves. He never knew why, but the teen constantly felt like he needed to protect Gravity Falls' forest, simply because it protected him. He knew it sounded dumb, but in that moment, he didn't care. With a smile that threatened to split his face in two, Dipper bounded through the brush and small plants that littered the forest floor. It was so green, the entire area bathed in a soft afternoon glow. The yellowish tint that flooded through the leaves gave Dipper the feeling of being in a long-forgotten myth. He was the protagonist, sent off from his hometown to fight the raging dragon that stole from them. It was a childish thought, but Dipper couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

The small stream he stumbled upon mere seconds later just made the young man even happier. Dipper was headed towards a small clearing that he knew was filled with flowers around this time of year. When he stumbled into the gently lit clearing, Dipper was not disappointed. It was a small meadow filled with purple flowers, coated in red swirls. The petals were wide and long, going forward before expanding out. These flowers were called "Hidari No Uma" - Dipper had been reading a page in his Grunkle Ford's journal during Spring Break before he had to leave. All he remembered was that they were native to Asia, called Hidari No Uma, and were supposed to ward away… something. The teen was pretty sure it was fairies, but he wasn't sure.

Picking his way through the thigh-high stocks of flowers, Dipper finally made it to the middle of the meadow. There, he swung his backpack around his shoulders. His flannel over shirt flared dramatically at the movement, much to Dipper's pleasure. Carefully, Dipper bent down and picked stems of flowers away from their roots. Once the teen had a handful, he carefully placed them in his backpack.

He was going to give them to Mabel when she came back from her induction. It was tradition to give a new clan member a small, useful gift. And Dipper knew how much Mabel hated fairies and unicorns - their first summer made sure of that - so he figured that anything that repelled the two would be a welcome gift.

Dipper paused, looking around the clearing before checking the time on his smartphone. It was still rather early. Mabel wouldn't be back until nightfall, so Dipper shoved his phone back into his pocket and took off in a random direction.

Since he had a few hours to kill, the jacketed teen carefully picked his way through Gravity Falls' forest. Dipper was aiming towards a small patch of forest covered in brush and smaller trees - a place where small creatures were ripe for documenting in Journal 5. Last summer, he and Ford spent hours upon hours just sitting there, waiting for a sphynx or a basilisk to make an appearance. Sadly, they only managed to find imps.

But today was going to be different, Dipper was sure of it. He was going to document something cool and different - maybe a manticore? Or that wyvern he was so sure he saw the other day? Whatever it may be, the brunette was sure we would get a glimpse of it.

Dipper hiked for a little over half an hour, adjusting his cap and bag every so often. Suddenly, he stopped. "Wait…" He breathed out, looking around. "... This isn't -" a low growl stopped him in the middle of his mutterings. Slowly, Dipper turned around. A dark shadow was prowling towards him - a _large,_ dark shadow he amended. The beast slowly stepped forward, closing in on Dipper. "Oh, shit," he gasped. The teen stared into the slit eyes of a lion, before glancing up to be faced with that of an angry ram - and Dipper knew that if he looked passed the meshed body he would find the tail was a snake. It was a chimera.

" _Shit, shit, shitshitshitshitshiTFUCK-"_ Dipper stampered, backing up. This was the first time he met a chimera - hopefully the last - and he was ill-prepared. He watched the chimera's golden-brown hide ripple with powerful muscles, the low hissing almost distracting Dipper from the terror that was facing him. The pocket knife Dipper had stashed in his backpack was not going to help him in this situation, Dipper _knew_ this, but he still started to reach behind him to grab it. An angry roar stopped his hesitant hand in its tracks. The chimera started to prowl towards him, giant body low to the ground, one giant paw followed by an equally big hoof. Dipper could now see the snake head lashing back and forth, venomous fangs bared. How the titan could prowl in a forest filled with trees, Dipper didn't know. It was a good seven feet tall and broader than Manly Dan.

The panicked "fucks" and "shits" and "blessed triangle in holy golden diapers" only increased as Dipper was literally backed into a corner. The chimera's goat head let out a happy bleat, spitting up a mouthful of dripping magma. _I'm gonna die,_ the panicked teen thought. He was trapped, he didn't have a weapon, and he couldn't get too close to the beast without getting burnt to a crisp. His back was to a wall, a prey trapped, a mouse caught in a trap. Dipper's last eyeful of the living world wasn't going to be loved ones, it was going to be those burning eyes, filled with primal hunger.

" _Beati qui es sole caelumque sideribus sanctorum geminorum oculorum exspectat anima mea ad arma portanda. Beneficia autem nostra fiat domine mi esse ex animo, corpus et anima est in requiem tibi in perpetuum. Ave oculis._ " Dipper muttered a prayer he learnt his first summer here in Gravity Falls. The chant was like a death sentence - it was to be said on someone's deathbed, no exceptions. And Dipper was certain this was where his string was cut - or, to be more accurate, sliced.

The chimera lept, body tilting forward with it's movement. Dipper could see tiny sparks of red-orange fire blaze in the corners of it's opening mouth. His eyes were drawn to the beast's front paws, enormous and the size of dinner plates, tipped with rust-coloured claws sharper than thorns. In a desperate move, the star-marked teen feinted to the left. One of the beast's paws landed on his upper arm, close to his point of shoulder. He felt the chimera's claws rip into skin and muscle, brushing his bone. Dipper let out a shout, falling to the ground onto his uninjured arm. _Ow, fuck, that _hurts_, damnit,_ He quickly turned, cringing as his shoulder screamed in agony. Frustrated tears ran down his face, blurring his vision of his reaper. The injured teen scrambled backwards, pressing his back against a boulder.

" _Beati qui es sole caelumque sideribus sanctorum geminorum oculorum exspectat anima mea ad arma portanda. Beneficia autem-"_ Dipper muttered frantically under his breath, closing his eyes. His breath hitched slightly with a sob.

" _-N-nostra fiat domine mi-"_ he was suddenly cut off by the beast's hot, stinky breathing blew across his face _. Huh,_ Dipper thought drunkledly, _it probably thinks I'm crazy._ He braced himself for the unending agony that undoubtedly awaited him.

" _-Esse ex animo, corpus et anima est in-"_ a howl sounded in the distance, eerily echoing around the forest that would be Dipper's resting place.

" _-Requiem tibi-"_ a yelp, loud and confused, sounded right in front of the teen's face. He didn't dare open his eyes, however, even though some weird part of him knew he was no longer in danger.

" _-T-tibi in perpetuum-"_ the chimera's pained roar made Dipper open his watery eyes. The sight that greeted him was not going to be wiped from his memory anytime soon. The chimera, once a proud, powerful monstrosity, was rearing on it's hind legs, ghastly paws swiping blindly at the two twin creatures that danced around it's feet. A baby blue blur, slightly larger than it's companion, nipped and swiped with star-ridden paws and a flaming maw. The creature's eyes blazed a proud golden colour, drawing Dipper's eyes to the swirling golden markings that adorned the wolf's body. The injured human's attention was soon taken by the blue wolf's twin. A fox, fur made of molten gold and the darkest of obsidian, bit into the chimera's amber eye. It then exploded into a brilliant blue flame that seemed to light up the entire forest in it's magical glow. Black markings ran along the fox's paws and face, ending at a split tail. Entire galaxies adorned the beautiful creature's tail-tips, a wonderful blue that matched it's left eye. The other was scarred and foggy, a pale baby blue that could no longer see. Both wolf and fox worked together in a deadly dance, easily covering the other's weakness and pushing their strength forward. The wolf let out a loud, eerie howl that vibrated within Dipper's entire being, his very existence. Water flooded the chimera, trapping the light brown creature in a swirling orb. It panicked, bubbles rapidly expelling from it's three mouths. The fox, far away from the vortex, released a demanding growl - bright blue flames bursting to life within the sphere. The flames quickly ate the essence of the chimera - the screams of the beast was something Dipper would never forget - before blipping out of existence. The fox and wolf both turned to Dipper, who was tired from blood loss and adrenaline, before speaking out.

" _-Av͘͜e̢ ͢o͟c̷ú̷l̢͘į͢͟s̡."_ The twin canines spoke from within the Mindscape, before the two took off into the ruined forest.

NOTE: Latin is roughly translated to "Is waiting for the sun, the sky and the stars of the saints, who are the twins, Blessed are the eyes, the soul is to the carrying arms. The benefits, however, will be ours, my lord, to be from the heart, the body and the soul of his place of rest in you forever. Hail eyes." Aka "I have awaited the sun, the sky and the stars from you, our Lords, whom are the twin stars. Blessed are your eyes, for you have awaited my soul. You have blessed us, my Lords, to take my heart, my mind, and my soul to be taken into yours for eternity. Hail you, my blessed Eyes." before my crappy attempt at Latin.

A huge thank you and shoutout to my two awesome betas – Bri and Left_In_The_Wreckage! This chapter would not be as good as it is without you two ^-^

Lol omake cause i'm a shithead:

…" _Beati qui es sole caelumque sideribus sanctorum geminorum oculorum exspectat anima mea ad arma portanda. Beneficia autem-"_ Dipper muttered frantically under his breath, closing his eyes. His breath hitched slightly with a sob.

" _-N-nostra fiat domine mi-"_ he was suddenly cut off by the beast's hot, stinky breathing blew across his face. _Huh,_ Dipper thought drunkledly, _it probably thinks I'm crazy._ He braced himself for the unending agony that undoubtedly awaited him.

" _-Esse ex animo, corpus et anima est in-"_ a howl sounded in the distance, eerily echoing around the forest that would be Dipper's resting place.

The chimera stepped forward, and bit his head clean off.

The blue wolf and yellow fox burst dramatically into the clearing, ready to defend Pine Tree-

Oh. Well, fuck - that ruined their plans.


End file.
